Monday, 5 January 2015

Meet The Romans | Mary Beard

The Romans started to come together for me while watching I Claudius some years back but only in a chronological kind of way. To get some real texture I recommend Mary Beard's Meet the Romans three part series. Mary's focus is on ordinary Roman life and after watching all three of these it's unlikely you'll find Roman history so abstract or remote as it has been previously.

There's some great scenes including the thumbnail cover for video two above where Mary sits in the public latrines. We don't know if men and women sat together but up to 40 people sitting in an open room taking a shit is fascinating anthropology. Just imagine how liberating it would be to know you're not the loudest, longest, smelliest or messiest.

Or even if you are how you would post rationalise it as 'only nature'.

I'd love to take a shit Roman style just to appreciate modern conveniences a bit more.

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